by Olga Rudenko and Charles McPhedran, Special for USA TODAY

by Olga Rudenko and Charles McPhedran, Special for USA TODAY

KIEV, Ukraine â?? European ministers condemned violence in the Ukraine on Monday at the center of the capital, Kiev, where protesters say they fear their government is creating an authoritarian regime similar to Russia and moving away from Western democracy.

"All acts of violence must be duly investigated and those responsible brought to justice," EU foreign ministers said in a unanimous statement Monday, calling on both the government and opposition to show restraint.

The comments came as masked protesters battled riot police about 500 yards from the Ukrainian parliament. The remains of burned out husks littered downtown Kiev after they were set alight by protesters Sunday.

A day after they failed to take over Ukraine's parliament, some demonstrators still aimed to storm the building.

"If we step back, they'll put all of us in prison. All of us - those who were fighting and those who weren't," said student Yuriy Lilik, 20, holding a wooden bat he made himself and standing about 30 yards from the barricades.

"We need to seize the parliament building, then hold it and continue to fight," he said.

The violent escalation of Ukraine's protests followed two months of mass demonstrations in which hundreds of thousands of people have called for the resignation of the government and closer cooperation with Europe.

The pro-Western protesters are angry that President Viktor Yanukovych shelved a long-planned political and economic treaty with the European Union, then accepted a huge financial aid package and gas deliveries from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Opposition leaders have urged the EU and the United States to impose sanctions on top Ukrainian officials and Yanukovych's financial backers, but Western nations have only threatened sanctions and issued harsh statements.

Hundreds of activists rallied outside the EU office in Kiev on Monday, chanting, "We need your help!" in English and holding posters that read, "No sanctions, no peace."

"The reaction of the international community has been inadequate," said Valeriy Chalyi, head of the Razumkov Center think-tank. "We are talking about Ukraine's independence. And if one does not understand this today, tomorrow it will be too late."

Sunday's violence came after Yanukovych pushed through a sweeping anti-protest law that significantly increased fines and imposed jail terms for unauthorized street protests. The law also prohibits activists from wearing helmets or masks to demonstrations, curbs free speech and limits the ability to investigate or monitor the activity of officials, including judges.

The law restricts the activity of non-governmental organizations funded by the West, as many are in Ukraine to bolster democracy.

The law mirrors anti-opposition legislation passed in Russia, prompting accusations that Yanukovych is following in Putin's footsteps in building a police state. The United States has called the legislation "undemocratic."

Opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko attempted to calm a mob of demonstrators wearing helmets and carrying planks. His attempts Sunday to soothe the crowds failed as protesters sprayed him with a fire hydrant and threw flares at police officers attempting to protect the legislature.

"Something that has never occurred since independence was proclaimed, things that people couldn't have imagined in their worst nightmares is happening: clashes in the capital," said Klitschko, a former heavyweight boxing champion who retired to focus on politics.

Last week, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the Ukrainian government's attempts to impose the anti-protest laws and seek closer cooperation with Moscow would lead to a "dead end" situation.

"Repression should not be the answer to heated political debate," Steinmeier said.

Analysts say the strong position Europe has taken on the political dispute in the Ukraine makes it very difficult for the bloc to broker an agreement to end to the violence.

"The EU itself has offered support to the protests â?¦ and that may make it difficult for it to be a completely neutral actor," said Steffen Halling, a specialist in Ukrainian society at the German Institute for International Affairs and Security. "The question is whether the (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) could play a part there or be an elder statesman who can talk to both sides."